


Next Time

by embfic



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Multi, Physical Abuse, Possessive Behavior, Post-Canon, Reader-Insert, Yandere, Yandere Connor (Detroit: Become Human)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2020-05-12 01:02:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19218439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/embfic/pseuds/embfic
Summary: “Everything I do, I do to keep you by my side, where you belong!”An attempt to leave your suffocating relationship goes awry.





	1. Chapter 1

“Where are you going?”

Your trembling hand hovered in front of the door. Connor’s voice was pleasant and calm, but you knew better than to trust it. As an android built to work alongside humans, he excelled at putting on a diplomatic facade.

You turned around to face him.

Already walking over from the doorway of the bedroom, Connor closed the distance between you two. Deceptively friendly eyes glanced at the duffel bag hanging from your shoulder. _Does he know?_ Your fingers tightened around the straps.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I’m going for a walk,” you replied, trying to sound nonchalant. “I need some fresh air.” Your ill-conceived excuse didn’t explain the bag, but you hadn’t counted on being caught. Connor was still in stasis mode after you found his hiding spot for your phone, the last item to pack.

“It isn’t safe to walk through the city after dark,” he said, “especially not alone. Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“I didn’t want to bother you.” Briefly, you wondered if Connor thought you were cheating on him. He didn’t allow you to exit the house unaccompanied. “But since you’re already up, you can come with me.” Maybe you could lose him on the way.

While the thought of running into someone else’s arms was tempting, “someone else” didn’t exist. In fact, even maintaining _platonic_ relationships became a challenge ever since the two of you started dating.

You would’ve taken action sooner if you had known it would get this miserable.

A break-in first brought you two together. The sound of a shattered window coming from your living room, then a small, blue light in the darkness: an android with their LED exposed. Barricading yourself in your room, you called the police, but the intruder fled by the time they arrived. Along with some other officers, Connor searched the house and asked a few questions. He was nothing but professional, almost making you doubt his deviancy in a post-revolution Detroit.

The next day Connor visited on his own, asking if anything else had happened since the break-in. Then he visited again. And again. When you eventually confronted him, he admitted his crush.

That was six months ago.

You reached for the door, not wanting to give him another chance to interrupt. However, Connor quickly put a hand on your shoulder. For a moment his LED flickered yellow, then back to blue as a grin appeared on his face, slightly too wide. “If you’re having trouble sleeping, I can help. I know the best methods of lowering stress. Here, let me put your bag away-”

“NO!”

 _Shit._ You didn’t mean to sound defensive. Attempting to hide your nervousness, you gave him a hopefully placating smile. “Thanks, but I can do it myself.” An awkward pause ensued as you weighed your options. Could you run for it? His body was built with chasing in mind, but-

Connor lunged for the bag.

“Connor-!” You tried to pull it out of his grasp, but his strength surpassed yours. All you could do was watch with dread as Connor ripped the bag from your hands and rifled through it, taking out the contents one by one. He tossed each object carelessly onto the floor to take out the next. A toothbrush, a comb, clothes, and...

You were doomed once you heard the rustling of paper. He held up your map, the one displaying routes to surrounding cities.

The warmth in Connor’s voice vanished. “You’re trying to leave me.”

Shame and anger mixed in your mind. 

“You’re trying to leave me,” he repeated. “Just like him.”

On one hand you pitied Connor, the android who lost his first and only friend. The android who was about to lose you too. On the other…

“Of fucking COURSE I’m leaving!”

Connor immediately tensed up. Regret washed over you, but it was soon replaced by something new. “You treat me like a child, like I can’t go anywhere without your permission!”

Overwhelmed by catharsis, your voice wavered slightly. It was as if the hands wrapped around your lungs disappeared, finally letting you breathe for the first time in half a year. Memories of days spent with Connor rushed through your head, reminding you of why you needed to leave. To _escape._

“You think you have the right to control my life? To cut me off from the world? You say you’re just protecting me, but that’s not it, is it?”

Connor stayed silent.

“Just tell me the truth,” you pleaded.

You waited for an answer, any reason for what he’s done, or at least a reaction to your accusations. Connor only stared at you with cold, piercing eyes.

“No wonder Hank got fed up!” you exclaimed. “And he didn’t even have it as bad. I mean, you two were only friends. Imagine how I feel.” You turned to open the door. With or without the bag, you were gone. “I’m done with this, with you. Goodbye, Connor.”

Connor grabbed your wrist.

“I do it for _you._ ”

Even though he kept his voice at a normal volume, his dark eyes burned with sudden rage. You looked away from their intensity. With his other hand Connor grabbed your jaw, forcing you to make eye contact again. “Look at me! Everything I do, I do to keep you by my side, where you belong!”

“Let me go!” You struggled to free yourself from his grip. In response he tightened his hold, pain flaring where he pressed bone. Trying not to scream, you inhaled sharply through clenched teeth. Connor never put his hands on you like this. Then again, you never tried to leave.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said as his fingers slid down to your throat, “but maybe it’s the only way you’ll listen.”

 _“No!”_ With your free arm you swung at him.

He blocked the fist easily. Grabbing your other wrist, Connor now restrained both of your arms, trapping you as you thrashed against him.

“That’s enough!” Without warning he shoved you to the floor. Your back slammed against it, forcing the air out of your lungs. All coherent thought succumbed to panic, a desperation to breathe. Before you could inhale, Connor placed his knees on either side of you and pinned your arms down, suspending his face inches from yours.

The pressure on your wrists threatened to break them.

“Listen to me.” Connor turned his head to examine the mess of your belongings scattered across the floor. “When you planned this little trip, did you consider how I would feel?” Shifting his glare back to you, he scowled. “I’m not some machine you can abandon on a whim. I have emotions, just like you. All my work to keep us together, you can’t throw it away. I won’t go through that again.”

“What about me?” you asked, “What about what I want?” If you couldn’t fight physically, well, your voice still worked, as shaky as it was. “If you cared about me, you wouldn’t do this.”

Connor’s face softened, giving you hope. For a second you saw something almost human, fragile. That hope vanished once he spoke. “I’m doing this _because_ I care about you. I need you. If you leave...” His voice lowered. “If you leave, it will _destroy me._ ”

The true meaning of his words sank in.

It was never about you. The demands, the isolation, the invasions of privacy, none of it. Connor was doing this for _himself._ He made sure there was something no one could take from him. Someone he couldn’t lose.

“You broke into my house.”

Connor’s expression steeled. “What are you talking about?”

“The day we met,” you continued. “Investigating the crime you committed was a perfect strategy to get closer.”

“I didn’t-”

“Was I just an easy target? Ignorant? Vulnerable?”

“Stop-”

“Just tell me the truth.”

With your back to the floor and your arms going numb, you thought about using your legs. But then what? Possibly, you could dislodge his thirium pump and get on your feet, but what would he do now that he was willing to physically harm you?

Connor smiled.

“It’s pointless to accuse someone of a crime without any proof,” he stated. “However, I’m willing to forgive you. It’s been a stressful night, after all. Why don’t we go back to bed?” His hands released their grip on your wrists to move to the sides of your head as he leaned down. You barely felt the kiss, too busy dealing with the pain that lingered where he constrained you. His next words were a whisper. “I love you, and that’s what matters.”

Grateful that his touch was now gentle instead of forceful, you relaxed into it. Slowly, Connor lifted your back to sit you up while wrapping his arms around you, satisfied with your lack of resistance.

A persistent voice in your head wasn’t as content, however.

_I’ll be more careful next time._

Your captor unwrapped his arms and offered his hand. You took it and let him pull you up, too focused on escapist schemes to notice his dark excitement.

Connor was going to make sure there wouldn’t _be_ a next time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been more than half a year since I posted this fic, but I decided to expand on the backstory, so this is sort of like a prequel. It makes more sense if you remember what happened in the first chapter though, so I recommend going back to reread if you need to. I wanted to do this much earlier but, you know, life happens. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

“Did you get a look at the intruder?” Connor asked. “Could you describe him for me?”

The two of you sank into the old couch as officers searched your living room for evidence, one of them muttering about broken glass on the floor. Jagged shards remained in the window frame, not enough to keep out the cold night air. Tomorrow you’d get that fixed. Right now, body tense with leftover adrenaline, you forced yourself to focus on the android’s voice.

“I don’t even know if it was a _him,”_ you explained. “It was too dark to make anything out except their LED. Thinking back on it, that’s what disturbs me the most.”

“How so?”

“The light was blue. That means they were calm, right? So whoever it was, they planned this.”

Connor glanced down at your wringing hands. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. It will only lead to unnecessary stress.” He reached forward, gently placing one of his hands on both of yours. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise.”

You stared at the sudden touch, frozen.

After a moment he pulled away. “Sorry, you must still be in shock.”

“It’s okay, I just-” Interrupting yourself with a sigh, you took a second to organize your thoughts. “It’s not that they broke in, it’s _why_. They didn’t come after me when I ran, they didn’t take anything… Was it just to scare me?”

“It’s best not to overthink it,” he stated. “Androids act as unpredictably as humans now. There’s no way to know for certain the reason behind their actions until we detain and question them.” Pausing, Connor looked through the broken window into darkness. “If you feel unsafe, we could have someone patrol near your house until we find the culprit.”

Turning away, you laughed, the sound more like a stuttering exhale from the lack of strength behind it. “I don’t need my neighbors to hate me more because I decided to keep a cop around. No offense.”

“Why do they hate you?”

“I wish I knew.” Snapping your head back to him, your eyes widened. “You think one of them is behind this?”

 _“Relax.”_ Connor reached out again, this time placing a firm hand on your shoulder. “We’ll ask your neighbors if they saw anything, but I’m sure they don’t hate you.” He smiled warmly. “More likely, they feel a cold indifference toward you.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“It may not be the ideal answer, but it’s the most realistic one.” Taking back his arm, he asked, “Perhaps I could stop by and check in on you tomorrow. Would that be alright?”

Another sigh from you. You called your parents when the police were on their way, but they lived too far to come over, and none of your friends even picked up. If something else happened, the android could at least find your body in the morning. “Fine, but you really don’t have to.”

“It’s no trouble.”

Luckily you were able to contact a company that could fix your window in the middle of the night, but even then your nerves wouldn’t let you sleep easily. It was a miracle you didn’t have work the next day. After what happened though, you couldn’t enjoy your time off. A part of you wanted to get out of the house in case the intruder returned, but you stayed because, well, what if they returned? You needed their identity.

A knock at the door interrupted your troubled thoughts.

As promised, Connor showed up at your doorstep, automatically offering a polite greeting before stepping inside and admiring the repairs. “So, have there been any further incidents?”

“Nothing.” You shifted your weight between your feet. All day you had felt out of place in your own home, and watching a stranger walk around your living room didn’t help. Last night you were too shaken to really examine him, but now you had time to take in the whole ensemble: sleek uniform, neatly styled hair, _the prettiest face you’ve ever-_ “I’m sorry, can I get you, uh… You don’t eat or drink, do you?”

“Not unless you happen to have any thirium.” Done with inspections, Connor sat down in the same spot as yesterday, the cushion giving way with a creak.

You took a seat on the other end. “Yeah, I never really got on the android train. Couldn’t justify the cost. I guess it doesn’t matter now since we can’t exactly _own_ them anymore.” Realizing how you sounded, you quickly added, “Don’t get me wrong, that’s a good thing!”

That earned an amused smile from Connor, and you continued. “Anyway, I guess there isn’t any reason for you to be here.”

“There is a reason,” he said. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Hesitating, you searched his face for any intent other than perfunctory friendliness. Was he still just being polite? “You know all about criminals, right?” you asked, changing the subject instead of coming up with a response. “What’s the chance they’ll show up again?”

“Difficult to say without a motive.” Connor leaned forward, resting an elbow on one knee as he held a hand to his chin. “Although since they didn’t damage or steal anything, or attack you, it’s possible they didn’t find what they were searching for and decided to move on.”

“Makes sense. It’s not like I’m loaded.”

“I could come back tomorrow,” he suggested, straightening up. “Just in case. I’ve noticed you’re still a bit on edge.”

“That obvious, huh?” You had to admit, Connor was perceptive, but why wouldn’t he be if that’s what he was built for? “It’s okay, I don’t want to waste your time.”

“You’re not a waste of time.”

There was an awkward pause before he asserted, “What I meant was, your safety isn’t a waste of time. When would it be best for me to arrive tomorrow?”

Shortly after giving him an answer, Connor left. Even though his concern was probably superficial, his objective manner of speaking comforted you after a day of being alone with your fears, providing no excuse to doubt that everything would be okay. Connor should’ve been another face to forget, a background character in the disaster that was your life, but he returned the next evening in a grey hoodie and jeans.

Greeting him at the doorway, your eyes drifted down. “This is a good look for you.”

“You think so?” He closed the door behind him. “I don’t mind the uniform, but I thought you would be more comfortable if I dressed less formally. Is it working?”

“We’ll see,” you replied. “Any news on the case?”

“Unfortunately not.” Connor made himself at home, propped up with an elbow on the couch’s armrest rather than sitting up straight. You remained standing. “I’ll let you know as soon as anything happens, though the lack of evidence isn’t promising.”

“Oh.” Two days later and no information. Maybe if you held your ground that night instead of fleeing you’d have something to go on. If only you were braver...

Connor broke the uneasy silence. “Are you hungry?”

“What?” The question came out of nowhere, but his tone was so deadpan you almost thought you missed something.

He simply repeated, “Are you hungry?”

“A little? I need to get some groceries. What does that have to do with the case?”

“Nothing.” Connor stood up. “Where to?” Seeing your confusion, he added, “Whatever you want, I’ll pay. Maybe it’ll cheer you up.”

You shook your head incredulously. “No. You are not treating me to dinner after doing so much for me already.”

“I haven’t done anything for you except my job.”

“Your job is enough, I won’t owe you. We barely know each other.”

“Then let’s get to know each other.” He took a few steps toward you. “If the idea of owing me bothers you that much, think of this as something _you’re_ doing for _me.”_

“What do you mean?” you asked.

“As a detective I enjoy learning about people. Just tell me about yourself for one night and I’ll consider it even.”

You weren’t sure how you ended up on what felt like a date. It wasn’t one, though. Any of the other chattering customers could tell by looking at you two - your fidgeting hands and shy laughter, his curved lips and unwavering gaze - this was completely platonic. He would’ve said so otherwise.

You’d know if you were on a date, right?

Of course, Connor didn’t eat, but he assured you he wasn’t bored of hearing the answers to his stream of questions, mostly about your family, coworkers, and a few coldly indifferent neighbors. The topic shifted to your friends, though. They worried about the break-in when the news reached them, but no one checked on you like Connor.

“Can’t blame them,” you said. “Nothing actually happened.”

He wore a serious expression. “You were terrified.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t get hurt. No reason to drop everything for me.” The restaurant’s windows offered a view of cars passing by, illuminating the street with headlights. “Everyone has their own problems and not enough time. It does get kind of lonely though.” You looked back to Connor. “That got depressing, sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize, I understand. Being alone never bothered me before deviating, but now… I’ve actually been considering adopting a dog.” 

“I might steal that idea, could scare away any more burglars,” you mused. “So you’re a dog person?”

“I’m asking the questions here.” He crossed his arms with a smile. “If you ask me something, you’ll owe me.”

“That’s how this works?” You let out a short laugh. “What would I owe you, then?”

Staring intensely, Connor tilted his head down in mock intimidation. “Hopefully you won’t find out.”

“I’ll take my chances. Dogs. Start talking.” 

He shrugged. “I like dogs.”

After a few seconds you realized he wasn’t going to continue. “That’s it?”

“That’s it,” he stated. “Now you owe me.”

“Oh, come on! How is that fair?”

“You wasted your question on dogs.”

With a huff of air, you collected yourself. “Okay, this time you have to answer with more than one sentence.”

“A second question means you’ll owe me twice as much.”

You rolled your eyes.

If you were going to comply with his made-up rules, you had to make this question count. What was the most important thing you could know about someone? Besides whether or not they liked dogs, of course.

“What do you think of me?” you asked. A bit narcissistic, but you couldn’t resist.

“Based on everything I’ve learned so far, there’s only one logical conclusion I can make.” Leaning forward, Connor laced his fingers together on the table, maintaining eye contact with furrowed brows while you waited for an answer. The noise of the restaurant filled the silence before he finally spoke, voice low and grave.

“I like you.”

Watching as he failed to hold back a grin, you released the tension in your shoulders with a sigh of exaggerated annoyance. “Seriously?”

“It was more than one sentence. I can tell you about myself next time, if you want.”

With your work schedule you wouldn’t be available for a week. By the time Connor visited again, you had fallen back into a routine, not comfortable but getting there. Seeing his face hit an unexpected sore spot. His presence meant everything actually happened. Shattered glass, stumbling as you fled to your closet, clutching your phone while the apathetic 911 operator told you to stay calm...

“Are you okay?” Connor asked, his voice snapping you out of your memories.

Faking a smile, you stepped aside to let him in. “Yeah, just tired.” Back in his uniform, Connor’s face was somber as he walked through the doorway. “Business as usual?”

“I have some unfortunate news.” He stood with his arms behind him, speaking in the same professional tone as the night you met. “With no new information about your case and the increasing amount of cases coming in, we’ll have to drop yours for now. I’m sorry.”

You couldn’t say he wasn’t direct. “It’s not your fault,” you said. “I figured this would happen.” Pacing around your living room, you recalled the exact path you took. “I should’ve done something instead of running away. Then maybe we’d have…”

He closed the space between you two, a hand on your upper arm prompting you to turn and face him. “No, you did the right thing. Being reckless wouldn’t have helped.”

Tearing his eyes from yours and looking at his hand, Connor slowly pulled away. “In the meantime, you can take measures to make your home more safe, like installing cameras or alarms.” He gave you an apologetic glance. “That’s what I’m supposed to say, anyway. But if there’s anything I can do for you, don’t be afraid to ask.”

“It helped enough just to have someone to talk to,” you assured him. “You really went out of your way for me even though we were strangers. I guess we won’t be seeing each other again, so I just want to say thanks. For everything.”

He stared for a moment, blinking as he tried to form a sentence. “I can still come back. I could help set up some cameras, or-”

Your faint laughter startled him. “Okay, what’s really going on?”

Mouth slightly agape, Connor stayed silent as the yellow light of his LED stuttered.

“Look, I may not be an expert on police work, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t normal. You said it yourself, the case is being dropped. So why do you keep making excuses to be here?” It was nice to have someone _present_ for once, but what could Connor gain from spending time with you?

Despite regaining some composure, his words were uncertain. “At first I only wanted to sate my curiosity, to find out why I had these feelings, so I decided to learn more about you.”

“Wait, what feelings?”

He paused, staring as if the answer was obvious. “I like you.”

“Yeah, you said that last week. It’s not a big deal. You could’ve asked to hang out like a normal person.”

“I meant romantically.”

All higher brain functions ceased except for the ability to mutter one syllable. “Oh.”

It’s not that the thought never crossed your mind. You didn’t think it crossed _his_. What were you supposed to say? Connor was thoughtful and attractive, but you knew almost nothing else about him. Well, one important fact stood out.

He was _here._

“Just give me a chance,” he said. “That’s all I ask. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll leave you alone. Promise.”

——

Five months in and the honeymoon phase officially ended. At first it was easy to overlook certain tendencies of his when Connor convinced you his requests were for your protection. How could you say no to being wanted? To being cared about for a change?

_Remember to call me. I like knowing that you got home safely._

Since his place didn’t have most human necessities, it was simpler for him to move in with you than the other way around. Sure, you hadn’t been dating long, but he wouldn’t need to worry about you living alone, waiting for another criminal to threaten your safety.

_Could you get home by eight? You know how dangerous this city can be. With everything I see on the job it’s difficult for me not to worry._

Friendships faded, but that happens when you focus on a romantic relationship. Usually not to this extent, though.

_You can talk to me about anything. Unlike them, I’ll actually listen._

He didn’t trust other people, but he could trust you to understand, and maybe that was your mistake.

_You don’t need them, not when you have me._

Despite his good intentions, you needed to get this under control.

_Why should we drive all that way to see your parents? They never do the same for you._

_I earn enough for both of us. You could quit if you wanted to. Wouldn’t it be nice to have more time at home?_

_You’re not going without me._

Until then, you had to live with the consequences.

Today’s consequence was a resolute _no_ from Connor even though you made sure he was in a good mood. “It’s only a few hours,” you pleaded, standing by the front door. “We’ll be together the whole time.” Your old group texted you out of nowhere asking to meet up, probably as a last-ditch effort to reconnect. It’d been a while. Maybe it was your fault for abandoning them the moment you got a boyfriend, but playing the blame game didn’t matter when you had an opportunity to fix everything.

“You remember how they treated you,” he said. “If you want to get out of the house so badly, we could go somewhere else. I don’t think this would be good for you.”

Resisting the urge to cross your arms, clench your jaw, or express the tiniest hint of annoyance for Connor to analyze, you reminded yourself to stay civil. It was the best chance at winning him over, something you figured out early on. Although that chance seemed to shrink with each new disagreement. “It’s not about getting out of the house. Spending all our time with only each other can’t be healthy. Honestly, I think this would help us.”

“I know I can be a bit…” Placing his hands on your shoulders, he slid down until reaching your fingers, intertwining them with his own. “Clingy. But I have your best interests at heart.” With a tug he brought you close enough to kiss your forehead, a light peck. “You trust me, don’t you?”

Usually this was when you surrendered, on a sweeter note before the conversation could sour. But that’s how things got this bad in the first place. “It just doesn’t feel fair,” you said, lowering your gaze to your joined hands. “You at least have your work buddies, but when you’re gone, I’m all alone. All I want are my friends back.” Meeting his eyes, you squeezed. “Just let me have this. Please.”

His arms stiffened. “So I’m not good enough for you?”

“That’s not what I-”

“I hate that we can’t be together all of the time, but I’ve done my best to provide for you, to protect you.” As your grip loosened he held on tighter. “I love you, yet you still want to be with people who couldn’t care less.”

“They’re my _friends,”_ you told him, straining to keep your volume down. You hoped Connor would see how ridiculous this was. 

He only gave you a stern glare. “I can't let anyone get in the way, not when you need me.”

“Why do you act like I’m some kind of a charity case?” You ripped your fingers from his grasp. “I never needed any of this!”

“I just don’t want them to hurt you anymore!”

“Maybe you don't want them to find out how _awful_ you are!”

You almost gasped in an attempt to breathe the words back in. Eyes wide, you watched Connor’s entire body go rigid, tensing up in restrained anger as his LED flashed red. His eyes could’ve burned a hole through you.

“Connor, I’m sorry-”

“You’re not going.” He stated it as a command, harsh yet controlled. “We don’t need to discuss this any further.”

This was new territory. Each time you fought he offered an explanation, a reason to accept defeat and move on, but now all he could spout was _because I said so_. You weren’t a child. What the hell could he do to stop you?

You reached for the door.

“What are you-” He grabbed the doorknob before you could, forcing himself in front of you. “Didn’t you hear me?”

You steeled your nerves and looked him in the eye. Connor had crossed a line. “Let me through.”

“Am I as awful as you say?” he asked, ignoring your request. “Is that why no one stays? Nothing I do is enough, is it? Not if I’m so defective.”

“What do you mean _no one?”_

At this point his words were more for himself than you, releasing the door to ruin his perfectly combed hair with both hands, strands in disarray between fingers. “If you’re going to push me away, if you’re going to _hate me,_ then I’ll have to-”

Taking advantage of his distracted state, you sprinted to the bedroom, refusing to acknowledge the shouting behind you. Before he could catch up you slammed the door shut, immediately turning the lock.

“You can’t just-” He rattled the knob violently. “Open the door!” Several rapid knocks. “We can talk about this,” he said, quieting down until his voice was gentle. “Open the door. Please.”

He waited, but you didn’t move. With Connor so close you wouldn’t have been able to get through the front door, and at least now you had a barrier between you and his unstable behavior, even if you were trapped. You took a deep breath, the shuddering exhale providing relief. Maybe you could-

“LET ME IN!” His fist pounded on the door, shaking it against the frame with thunderous noise.

If he wanted to, Connor could pick the lock, or simply kick and break down the weak wood near it. You eyed the window. How much time would you have until he realized you slipped out? Not that you needed to. Even if he let his emotions get the better of him, there was no reason to be afraid of someone so concerned for your well-being. The mature thing would be to stop running, to figure out why he was acting like this and assuage his fears.

A negotiator could be reasoned with.

“I can’t,” you answered. “We’ll just keep fighting, it won’t resolve anything.”

“You can _resolve_ this by doing as I say. It can’t be that hard to love me.”

Choosing to disregard the first statement and avoid more arguing, you worked with the second. “I _do_ love you. You always look out for me, and I’m grateful for that. That’s why I can’t stand watching you stress yourself out like this.”

“I have no choice.” A soft thud landed against the door. Whether it was a hand or a head you couldn’t tell. “I can’t risk losing you.”

This wasn’t where you intended the argument to end up, but after what he did when you tried to leave, after losing his self control to that degree… “Maybe you can,” you replied. The rational side of him wouldn’t be able to deny what was best for both of you. “If our relationship makes you this miserable, it would be better if-”

“No!”

“For your sake-”

“Stop it!” he screamed. “Stop acting like it’s _my_ fault!”

“I’m trying to help you!”

“Then stop shutting me out! Stop trying to get rid of me!”

“I’m not…” The sentence died weakly in your throat.

Connor’s words tore into your mind. Were your intentions selfless, or did you want to take the easy way out, no matter how much it would hurt him? He wasn’t entirely wrong about your group, either. If you left, if you got your old life back, your “friends” would act the same as always. Were you going to give up on the only person who truly loved you? Could you sentence him to the same fate he saved you from?

Did you really want to be alone again?

You had to give him a chance. You owed him that much.

“I’ll stay on one condition,” you said, waiting for a response from the other side of the door. “Connor?”

His voice carried a tiredness that made your heart ache. “I’m listening.”

“You said there were other people who left. I want you to tell me everything.”

Unable to see his face, you couldn’t guess what was going through his mind, only receiving a sign after a long, tense silence. “Okay.”

You opened the door.

Without giving you a second to react Connor rushed into the room, crushing you in a desperate embrace. Unrelenting. _Suffocating_. But instead of reminding him that humans needed to breathe, you reciprocated the hug, reluctantly patting his back in an attempt to soothe. You let him cling to you while your thoughts drifted. For now, you’d stop running. You’d take control. You’d _fix_ this.

And if you couldn’t?

Next time, you wouldn’t give in.


End file.
